October Stamp of the Month: Scandinavian Wishes

Each month you can purchase a new D-size stamp set, available for one month only, for just $5 — that’s over 70% off retail! When you place an order of $50 or more in Close To My Heart products, you qualify for this special Stamp of the Month pricing.

View the October Stamp of the Month 

I took a different spin on my card using the Scandinavian Wishes stamp set.  

I was assigned to use the October SOM set with the Sarita papers.    

My card is 4-1/4"x5-1/2" and my inspiration came from the Make It From Your Heart, Volume 2 card design #22.  I used several embellishments that coordinate with the Sarita papers...the Sarita Textiles, Aqua Dots, Base & Bling Teal Jewels, and the hemp bakers twine from the Wooden Mini-Medleys.  

Creating coordinating artwork is so easy to do with the fabulous CTMH product line!

Fabric Medallion Tutorial

Want to learn how to create this fabric medallion using CTMH For Always Textiles?  

Let Me Show You How...

Start with 2 strips of fabric, each a different size (if you want to stack the finished medallions), so one medallion is smaller than the other.  The white piece here is approximately 1"x7", and the black piece measures 1.5"x10.5".  The strips of fabric can be any size, work with the size that works best for your specific project.  A good rule of thumb is, your finished medallion will be approximately twice the width of your widest strip...this medallion is about 3" wide.

Next, cut each strip into a fringe along the long edge of the fabric.  Be sure to leave about 1/2" at the top intact.  Each fringe is about 1/4" wide...just cut, don't measure anything. 

 Cut each fringed piece at an angle as shown above.  This doesn't need to be perfect, it just gives added texture to the finished product.

 Next, take a needle (from the piercing tool kit) and thread (or embroidery floss), and sew a running stitch (in & out - indicated by white stitching above) across the top of your fringed strip of fabric.  Leaving a tail of thread when you begin and end your stitching.  Again, perfection not necessary...if one stitch is larger than another, it's not going to matter.

Cinch each end of the thread together until the fabric strip gathers into a circle.  Pull tight and tie thread ends into a knot to secure.  Repeat this step with each strip of fabric.

Two medallions, two different sizes.

Stack the smaller medallion onto the larger one.  I just used Liquid Glass to secure the pieces together, but you could sew them together if you choose.  Then embellish the center as desired.  Here I used one of my custom-made buttons from the For Always Textiles (you can read how to do this on my previous post).  The medallion featured on the card, I embellished with a glitter button (Liquid Glass to adhere) and put a sparkle in the center covering up the button holes.  You can never have too much *bling*!

Fast, Simple and Easy!

Be sure to leave a comment if you enjoyed this tutorial.  I hope you try making a fabric medallion for your artwork.  Fabric gives fun texture, and is an element of surprise in papercrafting and it is easy to work with!

Chicago Regionals Experience

Oh.My.Goodness.  WOW...ever feel like LIFE in general is moving full speed ahead and leaving you in the dust?  I'm trying to find the balance between working outside the home, working my business and keeping up with the everyday tasks.

Anyways...I've got some catching up to do!  I've got lots of artwork to share with you...it's not like the weeds have been growing under my feet...but I do feel I had to blow the dust off my blog! LOL

Last week, I had the honor to teach at the CTMH Regional Celebration in Chicago.  I do love all the places that CTMH has allowed me to visit...and one day, I will earn an incentive trip too! Seeing Chicago was a first for me, and I'm so glad I had the opportunity.  Afterwards, my friend Shari and I went to Willis Tower (YES...I did the SkyDeck!) and the Navy Pier.

Did I mention, I'm afraid of heights?  This was a daunting task for me!  The SkyDeck is 1353 feet in the air (glass floor is 1-1/2" thick), and the Navy Pier Ferris Wheel is 15 stories high...I think I conquered my fears in one day!  Yet I can't climb a ladder beyond the 4th step...go figure!  I digress...

The class I was selected to be a part of was 'Product Peeks and Geeks'.  I was a Geek! lol  

You might be a CTMH geek if...

...you know the Fed Ex man by name (mine is a woman, her name is Judy!)

...you have dressed your family (or friends) to coordinate with a Paper Packet you like (every year at the GingerBread Cottage with friends)

...the first thing you do when opening a CTMH order is smell the paper (mine is the stamp sets!)

...you've actually said these words to a painter, saleslady, etc:"Does this come in Cranberry?" or "I'm really looking for this in Sweet Leaf."(the walls in my house are Desert Sand and Chocolate)

And last, You might be a CTMH geek if...you sometimes just LOOK at your crafting stash, and it makes you happy!

I have to admit...I qualify on all points! I am a CTMH GEEK!

Onto my geek assignment:
I was assigned to create at least one piece of artwork using the new CTMH Textiles (Chantilly and For Always).  Seriously?  This was probably the ONE product in the catalog that I hadn't had any experience with! Ugh!  But I was up for the challenge to find the "cool" factor with fabric!

A fabric medallion...I will post a picture tutorial for this one tomorrrow.  Come back to see how I made it!  You can too!

(Click on any image to enlarge for more detail)

I created CUSTOM buttons using the For Always Textiles.  So easy!  Cut a circle of fabric twice the size of your button, sew a basic stitch around the diameter of the circle, place the button in the center of the circle, cinch the ends of the 2-threads as the fabric gathers around the button, tie it off tightly.  If you want padded buttons, I just used a piece of cotton ball.  *A BIG thanks goes out to fellow consultant, Peggy Hembree for this great idea!

I created a pinwheel from fabric the same you would from paper.

 And lastly, I covered cardstock with fabric on the sides of this 3-D box, and the bow on top was a Cricut image.  To use fabric with your Cricut machine, first adhere Heat-N-Bond to the reverse side of the fabric to give it stability.  Another good tip, have a Cricut blade you use only for fabric, since cardstock and paper will dull the blade easily.